Machine for applying treatment solution over limited areas of motion-picture film



March 11, 1952 Fr 3 ET AL 2,588,973

MACHINE FOR APPLYING TREATMENT SOLUTION OVER LIMITED AREAS OF MOTION-PICTURE FILM Filed June 23. 1950 HAROLD L. FITCH- S'IIANLEY .L. SCUDDER INVENTORS A M 9.1 1 2 BY 25% ATTORNESKT Patented Mar. 11, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE asst-pa MApmNE FOR APPLYING TREATMENT sp- LUTIONOVER LIMITED AREAS OF Mo= TION-PICTURE FILM HaroldL. Fitch and Stanley Sciidder, Roches' ter, N.,fr.-, assignors i9 Eastman Kodak com pany. Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 23, 1950, Serial No. 170,003

I '6 oiai'nis.

This invention relates to photography and more particularly to 'a device forapplying a band of solution to motion-picture film. One object of our invention is to provide a solution-applying device capable of applying a band of solution to an edge of motion-picture film and capable of producing a sharp edge to the stripe of solution so applied. Another object of our inven= tion is to provide a machine of the class described in which a capillary blade applies a layer of solution through capillary attraction along an edge or a portion of a motion-picture film. A still further object of our invention is to provide a machine in which a motion-picture film may be supported in an arcuate path and to provide a curved blade for accurately defining an area of the film to be coated with solution. Other objects will appear from the following specification, the novel features being particularly pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In motion-picture processing machines, it is frequently necessary to apply a film treatment solution or to apply tinting, toning or other solu- I tions to predetermined areas of film. In motionpicture film having a sound record on one edge, it is particularly desirable to apply a layer of solution such as sodium sulfide to the sound track, particularly where the film is a color film and where it is desirable to produce a silver image in the sound track before passing the film on to various fiuid treatment and colorforming operations. While it is obvious that our solution applicator may be used for applying any solution in the form of a band or strip upon a motion-picture film constructed in accordance Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view show illg a portion of the base, the bracket for sup porting the film drum and a film guiding spring.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section through a portion of the film supporting drum and base showing also the capillary blade and the capillary bead of solution between the blade and the film. This view likewise shows a portion of the fluid container in which the device for applying solution is mounted and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of a film sch= matically showing the picture areas and the stripe of solution applied to the film.

Our invention consists broadly in a machine having a base supporting a film guiding roller so that an area of film lying about the roller may be coated with a bead of solution drawn up by capillary attraction between a curved blade and the film so that this bead will produce a sharp edge on a stripe of solution on an edge of the film and, in the present instance, of sufficient width to cover the sound track area of the film.

More specifically, our invention consists in a devicefor applying solution which comprises a base member I having an aperture 2 at one end through which a hinge pintle 3 may pass to hinge the base to supporting ears 4 carried by a tray 5 adapted to contain a treating solution 6. The elevation of this treating solution is preferably controlled with a high degree of accuracy but since this control forms no part of the present invention we have schematically shown the level L of the solution to be controlled by an overflow aperture 8 provided in a screw cap 9 which can be turned to vary the position of the aperture 8.

The base I is provided with an elevation controlling screw I0 which may be used to hold the base at the desired angle to the bottom I2 of the tray 5 by means of a lock nut II. There is also affixed to the base an upstanding supporting arm I3 which may be attached by screws I4 or by other suitable means. This arm I3 is formed over at the top I5 and it is provided with r a split area It so that a set screw I! may pinch the formed-over portion I5 together to hold a set screw I8 definitely in place. This set screw is provided with a shoulder I9 for pressing down wardly on the upper surface 20 of a U-shaped bracket 2| which is thrust upwardly by a spring 22 encircling a dowel pin 23 extending downwardly from the lower arm 24. Thus the elevation of the U-shaped bracket 2| can be adjusted by turning the set screw I 8 and clamping it in place when properly adjusted by the set screw I1.

The base also carries a solution-applying blade 25, this blade being arcuate in shape and extending upwardly from a member 26 which is attached to the base in any suitable manner as by screws or rivets 21. The capillary blade 25 may include aguide block 28 having a curved surface 29 to direct film behind the blade 25 but we have found that this block is not necessary and may be omitted if desired. The base may also be provided with a spring entending. upwardly, this spring being attached to the base as by screws 3|. A spring arm 32 preferably presses against the lower arm 24 of bracket ii to help retain it in place but this bracket too is not absolutely necessary sinceit is usually more convenient to guide the bracket by means of the dowel pin 23 and the shaft 33 which is threaded at 34 and which is engaged by the set screw l8. It is of course necessary to construct these parts to locate film as accurately as possible 'and'to prevent vibration.

The film F may be guided by a drum 40 which may take the form of a single flanged roller as shown" in the drawings. The drum All has a pair of spaced film supporting surfaces A} and Q2 over which there is a flange 43'. It is also provided with cone-shaped trunnions t l and 45, the upper one of these trunnions being adapted toen'gage a v' shaped recess 4 5 in the end of a'screw 41 which is adapted to move in a mating thread'in the upper arm 48 of the bracket 2|. This" screw may be adjusted by a knurled head 49 and a set screw .50 may be employed to hold thescrew in an'adjusted position."

Thelo-wer arm'24of the 'U-shaped bracket 2|; is equipped with [a pad 5i having a V-shaped men eitherein to receive the lower trunnion E5 of thedrum'fifl. This pad 5i may be constructed'of resilient material such as rubber, Korose'al or the'like'or it may be made of a pad of nylon. In any event, the freedom of moveinent of the roller '48 may readily be controlled by'the'position of the screw 46 and by applying more or less axial pressure to the film supportmg drum, it can be made to move with considerable freedom or it may be materially retarded aclcording to the needs of the particular setup. ""Inuse, afilm band? may be brought at an angleintothe tray 5 and may be looped about thefilm'support drum 4!] so that the spring 30 as shown in Fig. 1 may press the film edge upwardly and into intimateconta'c't'with the flange 43. It is generally desirable to bring the film into the pan 5 at a slight angle as indicated in Fig.5 sothat the filinmay pass from suitable guides,

not shown, beyond the end or the pan and over the flange of the pan as it passes towardsand fr mrthe supporting drum 49. It may be'noted that} thelevel L of the solution lies below the bottem'edge of the film in Fig. 5. We have found thatthe distance above the level of the coating solution is not critical but it may be in. the order of Tie or an inch plus or minus g of an inch. However, the film is'ir'nmediately wetted with a solution 6 because of a meniscus of the solution '4 to treat a limited area of the film with an accurately formed band of solution.

The thickness of the filmv bead is important because if the spacing between the blade and the film is too great, a bead will not form. We

prefer to have a spacing between the blade and the film supporting drum of approximately .012

or .013 inch so that with a film normally .007

inch in thickness in which because of the treatment baths, the thickness may be swollen to .008 inch, the spacing'between the film and the blade may be .005 inch or somewhat less than the thickness of the film. These figures are given by waypof example only and it is obvious that they may be varied to suit the operation being performed.

Referring to Fig. 6 schematically showing a film F, it willbe noticed that in this embodiment, thefilm is provided with apertures A and picture arasP. In this instance, the apertures are omitted from the lower edge of the film since thisarea is used for a sound track andtheairea S indicates the area which has been treated with treatment solution. In initially setting up the machine, the tray 5 is mounted on an accurately aligned table and the base I may be adjusted to the proper angle by means of the set screw i 9. If the base is hingedly attached to the tray by a pintle 3, thebase will turn on this pintle in reaching its set position, The hinged pintle 3 may be omitted in which case r the base will merely rock about the left-hand end with reference to Figs. '1 and 5 until the proper angle is reached to clear the film F of th'etray in passing to and from the tray. The end of the film F is then passed over the spring 3%! and over against the blade 25 and as the film moves a capillary bead B is formed between thefilm and thepads M and 42 on the suppcrt'in drum a and is moved outwardly to guide rollers not shown so that when the film is moved by any suitable mechanism, the film band will be drawn in a smooth are around the inside ofthe bladefZS and will be spaced from the blade a short distance. A capillary bead B will be formed so that as the film continues to move on the moving drum 40, a band of solution will be drawn out over the lower area of the film in the present embodiment V as indicated at S in Fig. 6.

7 As above pointed out, this machine may be used While we have described an embodiment of our invention which is suitable n: carrying out the several objects of our invention and one which is well adapted to meet the conditions 'of practical use, it is obvious that other forms may readily occurto those skilled in the art. It is to be understood that all the matter herein set 'forth or shownin the accompanying'drawings', is to be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limitin-g sense. 7 w

We claim: 1, Adevice for applying a band of solution to a moving band comprising a base, a tray to recei've the base and adapted toheld a treatment solufi m at desired e iva eser w for ad us in the base in the tray'to vary the angle of the base to ha 03+ q tti n n d in t tray, a blast wardlyfrom thebase andslifdably carrying the brisk t enga ements? s des edges relatively to the arm, a curved solution applying blade mounted on the base and having a position approaching but lying out of contact with the drum whereby the relationship of the moving band carried by the drum may be varled with respect to the solution applying blade by moving the bracket on the arm and thereby moving the band transversely of the solution 'applying blade.

2. The device for applying a band of solution to a moving band defined in claim 1, characterized in that a band carried by the drum may be above the surface of solution in the tray while only a portion of the solution applying -blade lies close to but spaced from said band carried by the drum to produce a stripe of solution on the band as the drum rotates.

3. The device for applying a band of solution to a moving band defined in claim 1, characterized in that a band carried by the drum may be above the surface of solution in the tray while only a portion of the solution applying blade lies close to but spaced from said band carried by the drum to produce a stripe of solution on the band as the drum rotates and a beveled edge on the curved solution applying blade defining the edge or the stripe of solution applied to the band.

4. The device for applying a band of solution 25 Number 6 to a moving band defined in claim 1 characterized in that the distance between the band and the solution carrying blade is'less than the thickness oi that of the moving band.

5. The device for applying a band of solution to a moving band defined in claim 1 characterized in that the distancebetween the solution applying blade and the drum being substantially twice that of the thickness of band of material to be treated.

6. The device for applying a band of solution to a moving band defined in claim 1 characterized in that there is a spring arm mounted on the base and tending to move upwardly therefrom and adapted to engage an edge of the band moving with the drum to be treated with solution.

HAROLD L. FITCH. STANLEY L. SCUDDER.

REFERENCES CITED The rollowing references are of record in the tile oi this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,987,062 Hickman Jan. 8, 1935 

